Directed by Richard Loncraine, Wimbledon follows the plight of aspiring tennis-star Peter Colt (Paul Bettany), whose bad luck seems to manifest itself just about everywhere. Professionally, Peter is near the very bottom of the world tennis ranks, and personally, he can't find love despite his best efforts to do so. In a rare turn of events, however, Peter is/i>

Overview

Directed by Richard Loncraine, Wimbledon follows the plight of aspiring tennis-star Peter Colt (Paul Bettany), whose bad luck seems to manifest itself just about everywhere. Professionally, Peter is near the very bottom of the world tennis ranks, and personally, he can't find love despite his best efforts to do so. In a rare turn of events, however, Peter is chosen as a wildcard to play at Wimbledon, the tennis world's most prestigious competition. While there, he meets American tennis ingénue Lizzie Bradbury (Kirsten Dunst), and his confidence on the court and off improves tenfold as he falls further in love with her. Driven by his newfound luck, Peter climbs to the top of the tournament players at record speed, until he actually has a fighting chance of winning the men's singles title -- the question is whether or not his good fortune will hold out long enough for him to get the trophy.

Advertising

Editorial Reviews

Barnes & Noble - Ed Hulse

The fluffy, feel-good romantic comedy may have gone out of style years ago, but nobody told the filmmakers who persist in revivifying the genre with seemingly endless variations. In the case of Wimbledon, casting alone seems to have done the trick. British actor Paul Bettany -- Russell Crowe's costar in both A Beautiful Mind and Master and Commander -- exhibits a certain hangdog charm as a former tennis champ competing, with little enthusiasm, at his final Wimbledon tournament before shuffling off the court to become the resident pro at a posh London club. Kirsten Dunst plays a top-seeded American challenger who takes a fancy to the dour but personable has-been. A romance blossoms, but the young woman's ambitious father (Sam Neill) does his best to quash the relationship, lest it distract his daughter at this crucial moment. There is, we admit, a certain predictability to the story's outcome, but it doesn't proceed exactly according to precedent: You may think you always know what's about to happen, but don't be too sure. Bettany and Dunst make an appealing couple of the "opposites attract" type; his character's laid-back style complements her character's hard-charging, go-get-'em spunkiness. The tennis sequences are extremely well choreographed and edited, and it's obvious that both stars worked their tails off to look credible on the court. Wimbledon is not the sort of movie that makes an indelible impression, but it is the sort to which many viewers return whenever they're in the mood for something fun and frothy.

All Movie Guide - Karl Williams

An underrated romantic comedy that triumphs thanks to the power of its canny casting and a script that, while leaning too heavily on the work of Richard Curtis for inspiration, nevertheless succeeds in creating tension, humor, and what the screenwriting gurus call "rooting interest." Director Richard Loncraine is to be congratulated for letting the genuine chemistry between leads Paul Bettany and Kirsten Dunst play itself out onscreen. The scenes that work best are those that feature the lovers lobbing verbal volleys back and forth, Tracy-and-Hepburn style; they prove what Curtis' Notting Hill (1999) and Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) already taught us: there are few situations better designed to inspire dazzling dialogue than a stubborn, obsessive American arguing with a witty, fatalistic Brit. Meanwhile, the plot point-driven, "rom-com" cliches, such as her possessive father (Sam Neill, trying to swap his inherent affability for a Machiavellian quality but instead ending up seeming just sort of cross) or her arrogant boyfriend, are instantly forgettable, and the filmmaker smartly minimizes their impact. It may be derivative, but Wimbledon (2004) is a grand slam.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

I am not a sports a person, but I love this movie. I only knew a little bit about tennis from high school gym class, but I was biting my fist in anticipation throughout the movie. Plus Paul Bettany is a beast.

Guest

More than 1 year ago

This is one of those movies that I was convinced would not fly for a couple of reasons: first of all, how could a film that takes Wimbledon as its title ever do the tournament and the sport justice- that is without becoming dryly boring through a documentary-like approach? Secondly, and related to the first reason, how could a romantic comedy which would be at all entertaining fit into that same context? Well- guess what? They pulled it off. Director Richard Loncraine, who confesses that he not only is not a tennis tournament fan but also knows very little about the sport, was able to strike a nice balance between scenes containing light romance, action and comedy. Likewise, the pace of this film is refreshing - maintaining a focus on the Wimbledon event while avoiding the temptation to get bogged down in the mire of either technical jargon or antiseptic analysis that might confuse or discourage the viewer. Loncraine is aided in his effort by a solid script full of wonderfully witty lines in a story that, although is predictable enough, still keeps you attentive for each new scene. But the most important reason this movie works is the outstanding performance of Paul Bettany as Peter Court, an almost over-the-hill British tennis pro simply seeking to go out with dignity in his last hurrah. His convincing, self-effacing portrayl keeps you rooting for him throughout- even when he seems to have failed to do so himself. His attraction to and chemistry with Kirsten Dunst, cast well as the over-confidant young American female star on the rise, is just as believable. No less impressive, however, is the excellent supporting work turned in by Sam Neil, Jon Favreau, and especially Jon McAvoy as Bettany's mischievously doubting but ultimately loyal brother. Rounding out the wise selection of cinema players, the producers decided, thankfully, not to use the distraction of any real-life tennis stars, save for the cameos by John McEnroe and Kris Evert who provide a bit of spice playing themselves as TV commentators. I came to this with a very skeptical eye, expecting to find formula and pap. Call me a softy, but I instead was treated to a charming little film that gently but firmly puts the in-your-face, Rocky-types in their place. It was a pleasure to watch (more than once).

Guest

More than 1 year ago

I have always found tennis an interesting and fun sport. However, deciding to go see Wimbledon I have to say was for Kirsten Dunst, because she is my favorite actress. Kirsten did a brilliant job playing a famous tennis player and I can definitely see her as one in real life because she looks like one and she has the energy. Kirsten&#8217;s acting portrayed a lot of youth and I like that she went for the gold. The other actors in the movie preformed very well too, though the screenwriter could have developed the characters a little further to make them seem more interesting. For example, Peter&#8217;s brother in the movie didn&#8217;t have a big part, yet he didn&#8217;t seem to have personality at all. I think that his character could have had a bigger part and this would have held my attention more. The storyline overall was really good and I enjoyed the on-and-off romance between Peter and Lizzie. In the end, the finals tennis match will surely keep your attention until the credits. There were people in the theater occasionally &#8220;cheering&#8221; and &#8220;booing&#8221; when the tennis match was on. In tennis &#8220;love&#8221; is scored as &#8220;0&#8221;, but there is no lack of &#8220;love&#8221; for Wimbledon! I think that this was a good movie and if you enjoy tennis and romance then this movie is one to see!